How long between first signs and labour?

[Stargazer87]

I'm currently 37 weeks with my first baby and feeling really anxious about labour the closer it gets...I keep looking out for signs that it might be imminent! I was just wondering how much notice you generally get? How long did you generally have between the first signs of labour (and what were they?) and then being in established labour and making your way to hospital? Xx

@Stargazer87
Can't help as only 26 weeks, but want to see what others say so I can learn! Xx

My plug started coming away at about 2am Sunday morning. Contractions started about then too ranging from every 5-20 mins. Got not further sleep because of excitement and pain. By Wednesday morning I was done. Went to hospital begging for drugs so I could rest. They said I was 2cm and to go home. I refused to go home and they gave me drugs.

Baby born at 4:16pm on the Wednesday. She was done too. Getting some pretty big decels and needed forceps to get her out more quickly.

So early and established labour lasted 86 hours for me.

She's my first.

Ages.

I got what felt like period pain on Sunday late morning. I thought, this is a piece of cake. By bedtime and starting getting proper contractions.

I went to the birth centre on Wednesday early morning and gave birth at 5pm. After 3 nights with no sleep. But I got her out, it was tiring, my main recollection is the tiredness not of being in terrible pain.

Don't worry about it to much, it is a bit out of your hands.

My plug came away on Tuesday nothing else happened until Thursday when I was in Labour at 12:30am - back Labour so didn't actually get contractions; made it to the hospital for 1am and dd was born at 1:11am

My waters broke Hollywood style at 1am as I ran to the toilet thinking I needed to (TMI) poo! I was 36+4. Got to hospital around 5am. Baby was born at 12:48am following morning.

Second Labour I woke up at 6:30am with contractions and I just knew it was Labour. MLU at 11am, baby was born 12:11pm

physicskate

Ah funny, similar timeline.

I was trying to find a pleasant way of saying “the biggest poo of my life” but couldn’t find a nice euphemism.

With both dc about 48-24 hours before I went into labour it seemed like my body was doing a big clear out. Grim at the time but it meant I didn’t shit myself during the pushing stage, so silver linings and all that.

With my first I lost my plug in once piece and labour started a few hours later, no warning signs other than my due date! With number 2 I started losing my plug in bits about 2 weeks before actual labour. I felt periody, pooed a lot (sorry!) and was having Braxton hicks. Waters went just prior to delivery with both so I didn’t experience that part.

With my first I woke up on my due date feeling fine. Had no feelings at all. Had a contraction at about 8.30am. Nothing felt before hand. No plug lost. No waters broke. Contractions came every 20 mins for first hour (3 contraction in first hour). Then progressed to every few minutes. Went to midwife centre. She was born at 1330. So pretty quick. But it was actually lovely and calm.
I know my experience is unusual, but just shows that everyone is different. I was pretty surprised (my husband was VERY surprised) that it happened as fast as it did. He was still trying to shove crackers in my face as I was pushing her out - turns out he still thought we had about 12 hours to go and he was trying to keep we well fed and watered!

Oh, and straight after my first contraction I had the biggest poo ever. Basically completely emptied my stomach I think!! Poo seems to be the common theme here!

When I say 'no feelings' I mean I felt no different. Not that I couldn't feel the baby or anything, or had totally lost all sense of feeling or emotional capacity! Just realised it sounds a bit weird.

A week for me, lost my plug on Friday night and had started contracting then every 10 mins or so, was booked for an induction on the Wednesday and baby arrived with forceps on Friday! She was my first x

From waters breaking (first sign) to her arriving, 36hrs in total.

I spent about 12 hours at home after my first contraction, got to hospital at 3am, DS born at 9.30am

I didn’t really do things in that order. The day I had my first baby, I had a lie in, my DH went to work. I got up, had breakfast and walked the dogs. Then I watched a bit of crap daytime TV but didn’t fancy my lunch (a sign?) laid on the sofa for a bit and I was dozing when I went into labour, there really wasn’t any doubt at all that one minute I wasn’t in labour, and the next minute I was. I left it half an hour then called my DH who came home from work, called a midwife, and the baby was born. Then we called some family, ate a takeaway, DH walked the dogs, we watched some TV and went to bed.

Waters went at midnight and baby was born at lunch time. Active labour was 3h

There were specks of blood in the toilet every time I went for a wee on the Sunday, that night I remember waking up with period pain type aches and they were every 8-11 mins. Went back to sleep and woke up at 1am for a wee, when I got back into bed I felt a gush and my waters had started to go, at 2am I got my first contraction, they were straight away 2-3 mins apart so we headed to the hospital and DD was born at 7.17am on the Monday morning.

I started to get period pains 24 hours before DS was born. The pains started at 5am and DS was born the next day at 5am. I knew it was labour because 1) I didn't have period pains for 9 months and 2) I was 41+4 days so that had to be the start of things moving.

Throughout the day, I got on and off mini contractions. I had a shower and had a meal but not enough time to sleep as the pain would come back 30 mins later. I finally decided to go to the hospital at 8pm as the contractions were more frequent and they measured me at the hospital and said I was 4cm and then from there it progressed and had my son in my arms exactly 9 hours later.

With first baby, I was induced and took 3 pessaries to get things going.

With second baby, my waters went after doing the deed at 37 weeks. It was 2 days before I had her. Very slow labour of 48 hours just like my first. I had to be put on the drip 18 hours later to speed things up.

Third baby. Waters went at home in the middle of the night. Was having mild contractions for a whole day then by night got more intense and then went to have him. Had a water birth, which I highly recommend.... that was 36 hours labour.

4th baby, contractions started in the middle of the night. Long labour again 32 hours. Was a long slow process with most labouring at home. Contractions started getting more intense that night, went into hospital then and her 10am ghe next morning.

Am pregnant with baby number 5 and hoping for a quicker labour. My body just doesn't do them......

Wishing you all the best